Sir Henry Segrave would have love Top Gear, says the great nephew of the record breaker ahead of the land speed record 90th anniversary festival.

In March 1926, Sir Henry captured the land speed record on Southport sands in his four-litre Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird. Sir Henry, a former fighter pilot, was the first person to hold both simultaneously, and was the first to travel at more than 200mph (320km/h) in a land vehicle.

He was killed in June 1930, breaking the world water speed record on Lake Windermere.

Sir Henry's descendant Stephen Segrave will now watch Sir Henry’s Sunbeam Tiger take part in a recreation on Ainsdale beach as part of the land speed record 90th anniversary festival.

Speaking to Visiter.co.uk for the first time, Stephen said: “My family and I have been incredibly touched by this event commemorating the achievements of my great uncle.

“I shall be attending, and expect the event to be moving.”

Stephen, now 50, joined the Irish Guards as a young man, and served in the first Gulf war, and in Afghanistan.

He added: “Sir Henry served in World War I, and when I joined the army I did feel a connection with him. I ended up serving in the first Gulf War, and later Afghanistan. I remember riding into Kuwait on a armoured personnel carrier.

“Sir Henry began WWI in the trenches, and then noticed the planes flying overhead. So he began pestering his senior officers to move to the air corp, and they agreed. I suppose that was an early sign of his attraction to speed and excitement.”

Stephen, from Hampshire, said that although he grew up hearing his family talking of Sir Henry with pride and affection, he does not know too much about the real man behind the achievements.

He added: “I have listened to the stories and read books, but I can’t say I know a lot about what he was actually like. But I do know that he was fascinated by speed and technology.

“He would enjoy Top Gear, and would be interested in the current Bloodhound project to reach the 1000mph on land.”

Ian Bennett, who is making a film of the event, said: “There is so much about this week that a short film just couldn’t do justice to it.’

“After planning how we would film the various elements and activities making up the week we were originally looking at an even longer runtime. Given the special nature of a 90th anniversary, we just have to put in extra effort at the post production stage to create a 90 minute film. Even if that puts a lot of pressure on us.”

The land speed re-enactment will take place on Ainsdale beach from 10am on March 16. Stephen will deliver a talk on his famous great uncle at The Atkinson in the afternoon (March 16.)